teledude

Never happened to me in J/F and I am usually always in shorts and/or crazy shirts.

Oaxaca

mikem004

They have to police the check-in lanes, to preserve an important benefit of being a status passenger. Otherwise BA check in would then be as chaotic as boarding often is.
When travelling in J I am happy to have my boarding pass pre-checked at check in and at security.

SkyTeem

Let's not forget when it happens from other passengers, too. The self-important "businessman" pushing past everyone at boarding because he has a [bronze/silver] card, the same self-important businessman (always men) pushing past the women in the Group 1 queue, because they can't possibly be in Group 1 (in his twisted mind), etc...

It's one of those things that still to this day infuriates me, and I really wish I could just let it be. But it really gets my blood pressure where it shouldn't.

ahmetdouas

Misco60

I always make an effort to dress smartly and appropriately, whether flying or not - you'll never see me in shorts or with unkempt hair in public - but even I was once told in T5, in Romanian (I was on my way to OTP), that I was in the Group 1 line, the implication being that it was the wrong line.

LTN Phobia

It also is in F. In fact one old dear's shorts were so short (much shorter than his socks) that his nuts were trying to peek out of them.

AJA_

In early June 2019 at LGW was at the entrance to the BA premium check-in and the check-in staff stopped me and asked why I hadn't used the self-service check-in kiosks?

Explained politely that I was travelling Club and therefore entitled to use the premium check-in. Agent asked to see proof of entitlement. I replied I am sorry, not able to as I hadn't yet printed boarding pass, had tried OLCI but BA website said no. Had message saying Online check-in not available for this flight. Which was also the reason I had not bothered even attempting self service check in. Also pointless given I had bags to check in as well. So not wasting my time queuing twice. Was waved through.

Then repeated same explanation to actual check in agent. Guessing I was prejudged was because i was dressed in short sleeve shirt, bermuda shorts and sandals.

Didn't even bother showing my Silver Card which also would have worked. Should have done as BP didn't show BA Exec no so had to retrospectively claim for TP and Avios.

OLCI problems turned out to be down to Expedia booking on BA metal with IB ticket number. Both part of IAG but IT systems can't talk to each other so my pre-reserved seats as Silver also failed to register.

CCayley

I understand the sensitivities explored in this thread, and appreciate that there may be a world of difference between a polite question "Can I just check you are flying business class, Sir?" and an assumption "The economy queue is over there", and I have once been subject to this myself. However... I really appreciate it when premium check-in/security/boarding lines are properly policed because there seem to be thousands of chancers out there who will shamelessly go to the empty business line rather than join the economy queue when they have no right to be there. This is a pure guess, no statistical basis for it at all, but I imagine for every business/First/status passenger an agent offends because they are asked to prove their right to be in a premium line in a way that isn't sufficiently polite for their particular sensibilities, that agent will successfully shoo away about twenty chancers. If that assessment of the odds is about right, I'd say I'd rather have the agents there than withdrawn because of complaints that they were insufficiently polite to genuine premium or elite passengers.

dsf

Sort of, or so it felt. Changing from ET to LH at ADD a few years ago, I wasn't in a hurry and couldn't spot any fast track security so happily joined the end of the long line. A member of staff rushed up to check my BP (they checked no-one else), then grabbed my arm and marched me to the front of the queue. I was mortified, and can still feel the daggers from the other passengers' eyes as I think back to it.

irishguy28

Indeed, if you'd worn red/burgundy shorts, she would have known!!

LCY8737

Last night's CPT-LHR had a self important pensioner couple who couldn't believe the Group 1/2 boarding line was that long (it was) and pushed in at the front.

JimEddie

On the way back from HNL a few years ago, my transcon from LAX to BOS was heavily delayed due to thunderstorms, to the point where after well over an hour of circling we had to stop in Syracuse to refuel before continuing. Despite the nearly 3 hour gap I'd left myself to connect in BOS, we arrived as my flight back to LHR was taxiing. I took myself off to the BA ticket desk to see what could be done. Clearly, after an overnight from HNL and then a long day I probably wasn't looking my freshest.

After a few minutes the lady produced a fresh boarding pass for the next flight which would still (just) allow me to connect in LHR. As she was giving it to me I looked and realised that the seat showing was something along the lines of 42H at which point I said "wasn't there anything left in Club on the flight". Cue her looking at my booking again, eyes widening and then many profuse apologies. 5 minutes later I had another boarding pass this time putting me safely in CW.

subject2load

irishguy28

In your case, I would just hold the silver card in a visible/obvious manner.

I always have my status card visible whenever approaching anywhere I am likely to be "judged". Just makes everything so much easier. And when else are you going to use the card(s) except in situations like this?